Most people nowadays shop with ease and convenience by purchasing from online merchants. This trend was seen during the last holiday season when online shoppers reached record numbers. However, shopping over the internet carries a higher risk for identity theft and credit fraud if you’re not careful.

Many novice online shoppers often make the mistake of giving out too much financial information. Some first-timers are simply not experienced in selecting reputable websites. These are the common mistakes that expose online shoppers to credit fraud.

To address this concern, here are some prerequisites that should be taken while shopping online. Credit monitoring is also presented here as an alternative solution to protect you from online shopping credit fraud.

Shop only in reputable sites. For first-time online shoppers, it can be very difficult to spot a reputable online shop. You can’t always tell whether a website is fake or genuine. Sometimes, even scam sites look very professional and convincing. However, according to ClickReviewz, there are red flags that obviously tell you when something’s fishy.

Poorly designed websites with pop-up windows that do not close are usually telling of internet scams.

Strangely named web addresses could also be suspicious. When you encounter these sites, immediately close your browser and stop shopping.
For other sites that are not familiar yet look professional, take time to search for feedbacks or reviews. These can inform you if they are genuine sellers and if they provide good service.

The security of the site is also important.

Make sure that the payment form of your online seller shows a lock icon on its security bar. Also, the URL of the page should start with https instead of just HTTP. These are indicators that the data credit, card payment details, sent over the page is secure.

Avoid giving too much personal or financial information. When shopping online, it is very important to disclose as little as possible about yourself or your credit card details. As an online buyer, read the privacy policy of the online merchants you do business with. This will let you know what the store/site does with the information you provide. If there is no privacy policy or you do not understand it, it’s better to not transact with the store. Moreover, never give out sensitive data through email. Legitimate businesses would never ask follow-up information about your credit card details or SS number through email.

Use credit monitoring. Sometimes, even if you’re careful, thieves are even more cunning. Thus, it is important to monitor credit closely even if you’ve already carried out safety measures to prevent credit scams. The services of credit monitoring agencies can allow you to keep track of the changes in your credit. You will receive instant alerts and reports that will allow you to evaluate if someone else has tapped your credit. This service will provide you credit fraud protection by allowing you to detect early signs of fraud. Hence, you will be able to take action as necessary and minimize the damage that can be done to your credit.